


Never Playing Fair

by TriffidsandCuckoos



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, M/M, fragment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 05:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/606144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriffidsandCuckoos/pseuds/TriffidsandCuckoos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Do you even want me?” </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Playing Fair

**Author's Note:**

> Fragment from my epic Avengers soulmates AU, currently stuck in development hell. Steve and Tony are soulmates, but for various reasons of being stubborn idiots aren't following up on it.

“Do you even want me?” Tony murmurs against Steve’s arm. Before Steve can even begin to respond, he adds, “If I wasn’t – If we weren’t – Would you want me anyway?”

The answer comes without Steve even thinking about it; without him even stopping to consider whether it’s true or just what feels he should say: “Of course.”

He feels Tony smile against his skin, with a laugh that has no sound and no joy. “How about that?” he asks, voice sounding oddly strained. Steve fervently hopes that’s because of the position, but (even) his capacity for self-delusion doesn’t stretch that far. “Even Captain America can lie.”

There are so many things Steve wants to say to that; so many that he can’t speak straight away, refusals and rebuttals and anger and pain all getting in the way of each other. It delays him just that single second too long. Before the words – any words – can make it free, he hears Tony’s breathing even out and his weight go dead. 

Too late. Always too late.

Steve stares helplessly down at him, all of Tony’s daytime disguises falling away to reveal an exhausted man who seems to be crowding towards Steve’s body heat a little too much. Almost like it’s all he wants, and he’s so tired of fighting it.

But then, that would just be Steve projecting, now wouldn’t it?

He sighs. Hesitantly, he reaches out and brushes his free hand against Tony’s hair, ready to pull back in an instant if it looks like he’s disturbing Tony actually – _finally_ – getting some sleep. Nothing happens. Well, actually that’s not entirely true: Tony butts his head up into the touch, not waking up (as far as Steve can tell) but his sleeping mind apparently just letting himself have this for once. Again, possibly Steve is just seeing what he wants to see, but he really doesn’t think he can refuse Tony anything like this – all that fake smile and real sarcasm slipping away and smoothing out into something that might almost be peace – so he lets his hand come to rest and Tony makes a small humming noise.

“You don’t play fair, Tony,” he murmurs, where nobody can hear him. “You never do.”


End file.
